Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Otay! - the Billy Buckwheat Thomas Story by William Thomas Otay! - the Billy Buckwheat Thomas Story
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Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Otay! - The Billy Buckwheat Thomas Story by William Thomas Otay! - The Billy Buckwheat Thomas Story. Hardback presentation version. William Thomas, the man known as "Buckwheat," one of the most beloved characters in the history of the Our Gang and Little Rascals films, rose from obscurity to become an American icon. Billy's heritage grew to be more than the ninety-three comedies in which he appeared as Buckwheat. He was a husband, father, and soldier. Several generations have come to know Buckwheat as if he was a real person, but few knew Billy, the man behind the myth. In "Otay!" The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story, . Read More. Hardback presentation version. William Thomas, the man known as "Buckwheat," one of the most beloved characters in the history of the Our Gang and Little Rascals films, rose from obscurity to become an American icon. Billy's heritage grew to be more than the ninety-three comedies in which he appeared as Buckwheat. He was a husband, father, and soldier. Several generations have come to know Buckwheat as if he was a real person, but few knew Billy, the man behind the myth. In "Otay!" The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story, William Thomas, Jr., Billy's son, joins with acclaimed author David W. Menefee to brush back the sands of time and unearth the facts beneath the fable. For the first time, the true story is told how producer Hal Roach, Sr. plucked three-year-old Billy from hundreds of children and raised him on a pedestal before an adoring public. For a decade, Billy was the most prominent Black American in motion pictures, but World War Two brought an end to the famous comedy series and a halt to his film career. Billy went on to live a private, nearly normal life, married, fathered an adorable child, and then answered the call to arms and enlisted in the US Army during the Korean War. Years later, imposters attempted to steal his limelight, but Billy forgave the offense with his characteristic, childlike good humor. In an era when most Black American actors were struggling to gain a foothold in Hollywood, Billy achieved a lasting legacy. Enjoy the timeless tale of a baby superstar, who once shown brightly on movie screens during Hollywood's "Golden Years" and still fascinates audiences today. Read Less. All Copies ( 17 ) Softcover ( 10 ) Hardcover ( 6 ) Choose Edition ( 2 ) Book Details Seller Sort. 2010, BearManor Media. CONSHOHOCKEN, PA, USA. Edition: 2010, BearManor Media Trade paperback, New Available Copies: 5 Details: ISBN: 1593935196 ISBN-13: 9781593935191 Publisher: BearManor Media Published: 2010 Language: English Alibris ID: 15863226193 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,65. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: Brand New BRAND NEW Amazing low price. ► Contact This Seller. 2010, BearManor Media. Edition: 2010, BearManor Media Trade paperback, Good Details: ISBN: 1593935196 ISBN-13: 9781593935191 Publisher: BearManor Media Published: 2010 Language: English Alibris ID: 16692663067 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,65 Trackable Expedited: €7,30. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972. Used books may not include companion materials, some shelf wear, may contain highlighting/notes, and may not include cd-rom or access codes. Customer service is our top priority! ► Contact This Seller. 2010, BearManor Media. Columbia, MD, USA. Edition: 2010, BearManor Media Trade paperback, Fine/Like New Available Copies: 3 Details: ISBN: 1593935196 ISBN-13: 9781593935191 Publisher: BearManor Media Published: 2010 Language: English Alibris ID: 15367670549 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,65. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. Contains: Illustrations, black & white. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers. ► Contact This Seller. 2010, BearManor Media. Columbia, MD, USA. Edition: 2010, BearManor Media Trade paperback, New Available Copies: 3 Details: ISBN: 1593935196 ISBN-13: 9781593935191 Publisher: BearManor Media Published: 2010 Language: English Alibris ID: 15365249095 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,65. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. Contains: Illustrations, black & white. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers. ► Contact This Seller. 2010, BearManor Media. Edition: 2010, BearManor Media Trade paperback, New Available Copies: 10+ Details: ISBN: 1593935196 ISBN-13: 9781593935191 Publisher: BearManor Media Published: 2010 Language: English Alibris ID: 14096742950 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,65 Trackable Expedited: €7,30 Two Day Air: €13,69 One Day Air: €18,26. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. Contains: Illustrations, black & white. ► Contact This Seller. 2010, BearManor Media. Glendale Heights, IL, USA. Edition: 2010, BearManor Media Trade paperback, New Available Copies: 10+ Details: ISBN: 1593935196 ISBN-13: 9781593935191 Publisher: BearManor Media Published: 2/1/2010 12: 00: 00 AM Language: English Alibris ID: 16675982718 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,65. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Billie Thomas. William Thomas Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980), known as Billie Thomas , was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang ( Little Rascals ) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. Contents. Our Gang [ edit | edit source ] Billie Thomas first appeared in the 1934 Our Gang shorts For Pete's Sake!, The First Round-Up, and Washee Ironee as a background player. The "Buckwheat" character was a female at this time, portrayed by Our Gang kid Matthew "Stymie" Beard's younger sister Carlena in For Pete's Sake! , and by Willie Mae Walton in three other shorts. Thomas began appearing as "Buckwheat" with 1935's Mama's Little Pirate . Despite Thomas's being a male, the Buckwheat character remained a female—dressed as a Topsy-esque image of the African-American "pickaninny" stereotype with bowed pigtails, a large hand-me-down sweater and oversized boots. After Stymie's departure from the series later in 1935, the Buckwheat character slowly morphed into a boy, first referred to definitively as a "he" in 1936's The Pinch Singer . This is similar to the initial handling of another African-American Our Gang member, Allen "Farina" Hoskins, who worked in the series during the silent and early sound eras. [1] Despite the change in the Buckwheat character's gender, Billie Thomas's androgynous costuming was not changed until his appearance in the 1936 film Pay as You Exit . This new costuming—overalls, striped shirt, oversized shoes, and a large unkempt Afro—was retained for the series until the end. The reason for the change in appearance was so he could portray a runaway slave in the 1936 Our Gang feature film General Spanky . [1] Thomas remained in Our Gang for ten years, appearing in all but one of the shorts, Feed 'em and Weep (due to sickness when Philip Hurlic filled in for him), made from Washee Ironee in 1934 through the series' end in 1944. During the first half of his Our Gang tenure, Thomas's Buckwheat character was often paired with Eugene "Porky" Lee as a tag-along team of "little kids" rallying against (and often outsmarting) the "big kids", George "Spanky" McFarland and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. Thomas had a speech impediment as a young child, as did Lee, who became Thomas's friend both on the set and off. The "Buckwheat" and "Porky" characters both became known for their collective garbled dialogue, in particular their catchphrase, "O-tay!" originally uttered by Porky, but soon used by both characters. [1] Thomas remained in Our Gang when the series changed production from Hal Roach Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1938. Thomas was the only cast member to appear in all 52 of the MGM-produced entries and was the only holdover from the Hal Roach era to remain in the series until its end in 1944. By 1940, Thomas had grown out of his speech impediment, and with Lee having been replaced by Robert Blake, Thomas's Buckwheat character was written as an archetypal black youth. He was twelve years old when the final Our Gang film, Dancing Romeo , was completed in November 1943. The character of Buckwheat in later years became synonymous with the derogatory "pickaninny" stereotype. [2] [3] However, the work of Thomas and the other black cast members as actors is credited with helping the cause of race relations by playing alongside white children as equals in a desegregated show during the height of the Jim Crow Era. [4] According to Julia Lee, author of Our Gang: A Racial History of The Little Rascals , Thomas and the others were "considered saviors in many ways" by the black community as the most popular black stars in the United States during the 1920s and 30s. [4] Later, during the 1950s and 60s, the NAACP fought against the tired and demeaning racial stereotypes and moved to have the television series ended.